Meteoroid

A meteoroid

A meteoroid is a small piece of astronomical debris found in a star system. The visible trail seen when a meteoroid enters an atmosphere is a meteor (or more whimsically a shooting star), if the meteoroid survives traversing the atmosphere and impacts the planet it is a meteorite.

They were made up of iron, copper, sulfur and minerals. (TOS audiobook: The Man Who Trained Meteors)

History

Hundreds of years prior to the 23rd century, a meteorite collided with the planet Metamorpha, bringing about rapid chemical changes. (TOS comic: "The Peril of Planet Quick Change")

In Earth's history, superstitions developed among various cultures, including the Chinese Lolos, Irish, New Zealand Maori, and Mexican Tarahumare, to explain the appearance of meteorites. (Star Trek Annual 1970 article: Shooting Stars)

In June 1908, a meteor slammed into Tunguska in Russia, triggering a massive explosion. Hikaru Sulu mentioned the event while exploring a Kalandan outpost in 2268. (TOS episode: "That Which Survives")

In 2254, a crewperson on the harvester rig Rostok speculated the flaming trail of the crashing shuttle Icarus might be a meteor or shooting star. (EV comic: "The Flat, Gold Forever")

In 2266, a meteorite collision damaged Rocket Engine Number Four of the USS Enterprise while en route to planet Alpha Z-21. (TOS comic: "Invasion of the City Builders") Later that year, the Enterprise was damaged by a meteor storm while transporting a piece of the star Doona. (TOS comic: "When Planets Collide") The Enterprise also had to reduce speed to avoid a collision with a meteoroid. (TOS comic: "Child's Play")

In the 2260s, Teranius installed a base and propulsion system within a hollowed-out meteor in the Pylar system. From there, he used psychokinesis to direct an onslaught of meteorites into Perinda City on Perinda IV, devastating the city. James T. Kirk, Spock and Montgomery Scott traveled to the base in a shuttlecraft to confront the madman. (TOS audiobook: The Man Who Trained Meteors)

In 2368, Dr. Hoyle believed he had found a hole caused by a meteor in a ziggurat on Rajatha Prime; he quickly discovered it had in fact been caused by the impact of the crash landing of a shuttlepod. (TNG comic: "Captain's Pleasure")

See also: meteor shower

Appendices

Appearances

• TOS comic: "Invasion of the City Builders"
• TOS comic: "When Planets Collide"
• TOS comic: "Child's Play"
• EV comic: "The Flat, Gold Forever"
• TOS audiobook: The Man Who Trained Meteors
• TOS comic: "We Are Dying, Egypt, Dying!"

References

• TOS episode: "That Which Survives"
• Star Trek Annual 1970 article: Shooting Stars
• TNG comic: "Captain's Pleasure"

External links

• Meteoroid article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
• Meteoroid article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.